Who Is Virginia Hall? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Virginia Hall was born on April 6, 1906, making her 119 years old in 2025. Hall was an American spy for the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II and is best known for her extraordinary contributions to the Allied cause. Her early life began in Baltimore, Maryland. A strong and intelligent woman, Hall defied traditional roles expected of women in her time, taking on significant challenges in espionage and resistance work against Nazi Germany.
| Occupation | Service |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | April 6, 1906 |
| Age | 119 Years |
| Birth Place | Baltimore, Maryland, US |
| Horoscope | Aries |
| Country | U.S |
Popularity
Virginia Hall's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While precise information about Virginia Hall's height and weight remains elusive, she was known to have a slender build. Historical records suggest she stood around 5 feet 5 inches tall (approximately 165 cm) and maintained a healthy weight that allowed her to remain agile throughout her missions. Nutritional practices of the time were different, and she often had to rely on limited rations made available to her in the field.
OSS provided her with a forged French identification card in the name of Marcelle Montagne. Her codename was Diane. The OSS teams' objective was to arm and train the resistance groups, called Maquis, so they could conduct sabotage and guerrilla activities to support the Allied invasion of Normandy, which would take place on June 6, 1944.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Virginia Hall was notably private about her personal life. As of the latest historical accounts, it seems she remained single throughout her espionage career, opting to dedicate her life to her work. There are no known records of a significant other or husband, which might have been influenced by the nature of her work and the risks involved in her assignments.
Ned Hall's father, John W. Hall, had stowed away on his father's clipper ship at the age of nine, and later became a wealthy businessman. She had a brother, John, four years her senior. Virginia was close to her family members, who affectionately nicknamed her "Dindy".
Net Worth and Salary
While Virginia Hall's exact net worth is difficult to quantify, considering her contributions to the war effort and her later career as a civil servant for the U.S. State Department, it is estimated that her financial status was modest. She did not accrue vast wealth, as her focus remained on her mission rather than monetary gain. However, her legacy and recognition in history make her a celebrated figure well beyond her financial earnings.
On her return to London, SOE leaders declined to send Hall back to France as an agent, despite her requests that they do so. She was compromised, they said, and too much at risk. However, she took a wireless course and contacted the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) about a job.
She was hired by the Special Operations Branch at the low rank and pay of a second lieutenant, and she returned to France on March 21, 1944, arriving by motor gunboat at Beg-an-Fry east of Roscoff in Brittany. Her artificial leg prevented her from parachuting.
Career, Business and Investments
Hall’s career is marked by her bravery and intelligence. After graduating from the Smith College in 1929, she began her career in humanitarian efforts before being recruited by the SOE. Using the alias "Marie Monin," she became one of the most effective spies during World War II. Her ability to communicate and coordinate from enemy-occupied territories was unparalleled.
Following the war, Virginia Hall continued her career within the ranks of the CIA, where she contributed significantly until her retirement. Today, she is celebrated as a pioneer for women in intelligence and espionage.
Hall was next given the job of helping the Maquis in southern France harass the Germans in support of the Allied invasion of the south, Operation Dragoon, which would take place on August 15, 1944.
In July, Hall was ordered to go to Haute-Loire department, arriving July 14, quitting her disguise, and establishing her headquarters in a barn near Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. As a woman with the rank of second lieutenant she had problems asserting her authority over the Maquis groups and the self-proclaimed colonels heading them.
She complained to OSS headquarters, "you send people out ostensibly to work with me and for me, but you do not give me the necessary authority."
Social Network
Virginia Hall’s life was not well-documented in social media given her time period, but in 2025, her story and legacy are celebrated frequently on various social platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook where history enthusiasts and scholars share content about her life and contributions to the war effort.
Hall joined the SOE in April 1941 and after training arrived in Vichy France, unoccupied by Germany and nominally independent at that time, on August 23, 1941. She was the second female agent to be sent to France by SOE's F (France) Section, and the first to remain there for a lengthy period of time.
(SOE F section would send 41 female agents to France during World War II, of whom 26 would survive the war.) Hall's cover was as a reporter for the New York Post which gave her license to interview people, gather information and file stories filled with details useful to military planners. She based herself in Lyon.
She turned away from her "chic Parisian wardrobe" to become inconspicuous and often quickly changed her appearance through make-up and disguise.
Hall was a pioneer as a World War II secret agent and had to learn on her own the "exacting tasks of being available, arranging contacts, recommending who to bribe and where to hide, soothing the jagged nerves of agents on the run and supervising the distribution of wireless sets." The network (or circuit) of SOE agents she founded was named Heckle
r.
Among her recruits were gynecologist Jean Rousset and Germaine Guérin, the owner of a prominent brothel in Lyon. Guérin made several safehouses available to Hall and passed along tidbits of information she and her female employees heard from German officers visiting the brothel.
Education
Virginia Hall was an educated woman, having attended Radcliffe College and subsequently graduating from Smith College. Her educational background allowed her to develop skills crucial for her later success in intelligence work, including language proficiency and critical thinking.
In conclusion, Virginia Hall's story continues to inspire generations, exemplifying courage, intelligence, and dedication against all odds. As we explore her legacy in 2025, she remains an iconic figure—an example of what one woman can achieve in the face of adversity.
In 1912, Hall began attending Roland Park Country School, where during her high school years, she became editor-in-chief of her school's yearbook, Quid Nunc; and became class president in her senior year.
After graduating, she attended Radcliffe College of Harvard University and Barnard College of Columbia University, where she studied French, Italian, and German. She also attended George Washington University, where she studied French and Economics.
She wanted to finish her studies in Europe, so she traveled the Continent and studied in France, Germany, and Austria, eventually landing an appointment as a Consular Service clerk at the Embassy of the United States, Warsaw, Poland in 1931.
